Independent forensic testing has raised serious questions about the integrity of Australian supply chains, with results indicating that tomato products sold nationwide as Australian or Italian contained tomatoes originating from China.
Commissioned as part of an eight-month ABC Four Corners investigation, the testing examined more than 900 samples from 221 processed tomato products across 39 brands, including tomato paste, passata and diced tomatoes.
Source Certain – a forensic laboratory that has worked with agencies including the FBI, Scotland Yard, Interpol and the Australian Federal Police – found 22 percent of the products failed country-of-origin testing, while a further six percent were flagged for additional investigation.
All products that failed were assessed by Source Certain as originating in China, with 53 percent traced specifically to Xinjiang, a major tomato-producing region that has faced longstanding allegations of forced Uyghur labour.
Back in 2021, the United States banned imports of tomato products from Xinjiang over forced labour concerns, which China denied.
The Four Corners investigation comes at a particularly challenging time for Australia, with the Trump administration recently imposing a 12.5 percent tariff on Australian goods entering the US, citing Australia’s failure to effectively ban imports produced using forced labour.
Among the products tested were 33 Leggo’s tomato paste products purchased from supermarkets across several states.
Approximately 80 percent of these products (27 in total) failed the testing despite carrying “Australian grown” claims, with two-thirds of the failed products linked to Xinjiang.
Coles Italian tomato paste, Aldi’s home-brand Remano paste and Rosso Gargano passata sold through Coles also failed to match their labelled origins, with six of the seven failed Coles products traced back to Xinjiang.
The testing uses trace element and stable isotope analysis to examine the chemical fingerprint created by the soil, water, climate and geology in which produce is grown. This fingerprint is then compared with verified reference samples from different regions.
Source Certain said it was more than 98 percent confident that the tomatoes in the failed products originated in China.
Leggo’s US-based owner, Simplot, rejected the findings and declined an interview, according to the ABC, but said in a statement that it held documentation tracing the products back to Australian farms.
“Simplot Australia has reviewed the matters raised by the ABC and conducted verification of the batch codes provided. Our records confirm the tomatoes used in those products were grown in Australia,” it said.
“Our verification process traced the relevant batch codes through manufacturing records, ingredient inputs, supplier verification records and ultimately to the Australian paddocks where the tomatoes were grown.
“We have also engaged directly with our supplier, who maintains sophisticated traceability capabilities and stands by its Australian-grown produce.”
Coles also rejected the results, saying there was no evidence its home-brand tomato paste originated in China, but confirmed it would commission independent testing.
“Coles has had a trusted relationship with the supplier in question for over 20 years. The product specification requires the tomatoes used in this product to be sourced exclusively from Italy, and the supplier has advised that the product is manufactured in accordance with that specification,” a spokesperson said.
“Our supplier has provided detailed batch-specific traceability records, production documentation and supporting evidence to confirm the Italian origin of the tomatoes used, supporting the confidence we have in the integrity of the product and its manufacturer.
“As we take food integrity seriously and to confirm the provenance of our own brand tomato paste, we will be commissioning independent testing.”
Similarly, Aldi said it worked with reputable suppliers that had assured the retailer its products came from the countries stated on their labels.
The importer of Rosso Gargano also disputed the findings and said detailed traceability information was available.
Several major brands passed the country-of-origin testing, including Mutti, SPC, Woolworths, Providore D’Italia and Annalisa, while Leggo’s and Coles’ diced tomatoes and passata products also passed.
Beyond consumer labelling concerns, the results raise questions about whether Australian growers could be competing against lower-cost imported produce marketed as locally grown.
The connection to Xinjiang also intensifies scrutiny of Australia’s approach to identifying and excluding goods potentially associated with forced labour.
Former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Professor Allan Fels called for regulators to investigate the findings and consider enforcement action.
“I’m not totally surprised, but I’m very disturbed by it,” he told the ABC.
“If the laboratory tests are true, the ACCC should take punitive action in the courts against Leggo’s.”
Warning that the issue may extend beyond tomatoes, Source Certain’s forensic food scientist and chief technical officer Cameron Scadding said people should not assume the problem was limited to one product category.
“I think probably the best way to look at it is if you walk into a supermarket, there can be thousands of products in a supermarket, and there’s opportunity in every one of those aisles for there to be misrepresentation,” he said.
